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Felony warrants issued in Carolina Beach melee

Published: Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 1:16 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 1:16 p.m.

Felony warrants have been issued for three men in connection with an April melee on Carolina Beach that left a Wilmington man critically injured.

One man is charged with four counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, one count of simple assault and one count of assault on a female, and two others are charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.

Carolina Beach Police Detective Chris Larson said he will not release the names of the wanted individuals until they are arrested.

On April 27, two groups of people – one group adults and teens from Wilmington celebrating a 16th birthday and another group ranging in ages from the 20s to 40s of about 30 people from Clinton celebrating an adult woman's birthday – had just disembarked from a party boat docked in the marina off Carl Winner Drive when a fight broke out across the street on Myrtle Avenue.

"Somebody was joking around saying they wanted to get a ride on (the Clinton group's) party bus, and a melee broke out. People started fighting everywhere, getting hit with bricks and getting punched," Larson said. "One little joke was interpreted the wrong way and it ended up with people in the hospital."

Larson said the arrival of police diffused the situation, and officers took the names of everyone on scene and then directed the Clinton group onto their bus and back to Sampson County.

Some of the injured from the Wilmington group were taken by ambulance to the hospital, including a 32-year-old man who was knocked unconscious by a brick and had to undergo surgery for a fractured skull.

That man is still in the hospital, Larson said Thursday, but has been moved out of the intensive care unit.

After a number of interviews involving the participants, Larson said, he requested the warrants for the three men from Sampson County he believes assaulted the seriously injured victim and two others.

Larson said that on the night of the incident, no one from the Clinton group reported being injured, but since the case has made it in the news, some have come forward to claim as much.

"No one mentioned they were hurt to me that night or the officers that were there," Larson said. "In fact, two of the guys that I got warrants on were trying to sneak away so I know they weren't injured."

<p>Felony warrants have been issued for three men in connection with an April melee on Carolina Beach that left a Wilmington man critically injured. </p><p>One man is charged with four counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, one count of simple assault and one count of assault on a female, and two others are charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.</p><p>Carolina Beach Police Detective Chris Larson said he will not release the names of the wanted individuals until they are arrested. </p><p>On April 27, two groups of people – one group adults and teens from Wilmington celebrating a 16th birthday and another group ranging in ages from the 20s to 40s of about 30 people from Clinton celebrating an adult woman's birthday – had just disembarked from a party boat docked in the marina off Carl Winner Drive when a fight broke out across the street on Myrtle Avenue.</p><p>"Somebody was joking around saying they wanted to get a ride on (the Clinton group's) party bus, and a melee broke out. People started fighting everywhere, getting hit with bricks and getting punched," Larson said. "One little joke was interpreted the wrong way and it ended up with people in the hospital." </p><p>Larson said the arrival of police diffused the situation, and officers took the names of everyone on scene and then directed the Clinton group onto their bus and back to Sampson County. </p><p>Some of the injured from the Wilmington group were taken by ambulance to the hospital, including a 32-year-old man who was knocked unconscious by a brick and had to undergo surgery for a fractured skull. </p><p>That man is still in the hospital, Larson said Thursday, but has been moved out of the intensive care unit. </p><p>After a number of interviews involving the participants, Larson said, he requested the warrants for the three men from Sampson County he believes assaulted the seriously injured victim and two others. </p><p>Larson said that on the night of the incident, no one from the Clinton group reported being injured, but since the case has made it in the news, some have come forward to claim as much. </p><p>"No one mentioned they were hurt to me that night or the officers that were there," Larson said. "In fact, two of the guys that I got warrants on were trying to sneak away so I know they weren't injured."</p><p><i></p><p>F.T. Norton: 343-2070</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @FTNorton</i></p>